I was in the Bay Area for a quick work trip at the end of last week and I managed to steal one shot on my way to dinner one night. The crashing wave in the Northern California fascinates me. In fact, one of my favorite things to do at Big Sur is just to sit at the cliff and see these big waves come and go. It’s very soothing. What attracts me to this particular composition is the secondary wave in the BG. It seems to add a lot of context to the main wave in the foreground. Also, the marine layer has created this soft afternoon light that to my eyes give some kind of gentleness to the raw energy from the wave. Hopefully the processing helps to stir up that emotion on the viewers as well. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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This image works well for me Adhika. I agree, the combination of softness and raw power makes for a compelling image. Another subtle thing that attracts me to this image is the way the light is playing on the waves in the LRC, it echos what is going on in the big wave. I like this very much as presented, nice work.
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Nice Capture, Adhika, a very engaging shape gnawing at the rock shelf. I like the softness very much and the light highlights are great. Good work…how far were you from the scene, may I assume a 300-400 mm lens?
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What a lovely image. Such a gentle interpretation of a violent event. It’s almost poetic. The form reminds me of a sea anemone. Initially I wasn’t thrilled by the large wave on the edge but a crop that isolates the main wave seems inferior. The frothy water at the bottom right is really nice.
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A lazy response for me - but don’t think I could have said it any better than Igor! So ditto.
I do like the almost mystery aspect of the right side; that wave is like a pending overwhelming overtake of the scene - The timing is awesome here.
Great rewards for your efforts Adhika!
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Thanks @Ed_McGuirk, @Stephen_Stanton, @Igor_Doncov, @Lon_Overacker! I really appreciate your feedback.
A few comments:
My thought with the wave on the right is also like an echo to the main one in front. At first I thought it was gonna be some kind of a distraction but the more I see it, the more I think it is supportive of the rest of the scene. I am glad that it’s working for you, too.
@Stephen_Stanton: This was taken at the equivalent of 750mm field of view (D500 and 500mm f/4 lens). I was standing from a cliff probably about a mile North.
This is a wonderul image! It shows a lot of power and I absolutely love the subtlety of the light and mood created! I’m not sure this could be improved in my eyes. The colours and contrast are spot on! The composition is well seen and executed! Congrats on a compelling shot!
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